The body of the 37-year-old country singer was discovered on the front porch of her Arkansas home on Sunday afternoon (17.02.13) after Cleburne County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a gunshot from the house.

A statement from the sheriff's department read: ''Ms. McCready was pronounced dead at the scene from what appears to be a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.

''At this time family members have been notified of the incident. Ms. Mcready will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy and the matter will be fully investigated.''

While Mindy - who was mother to sons Zander, six, and 10-month-old Zayne - shot to fame with the release of her debut album 'Ten Thousand Angels' in 1996, her music career was blighted by her personal problems, most recently the death of her long-term partner David Wilson, who shot himself in January.

Three weeks after his passing, a judge ordered the 'Guys Do It All the Time' hitmaker to be committed to a treatment facility to deal with mental health and alcohol issues and her sons were placed in foster care.

In 2004, she was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and three years probation for prescription drug fraud, after illegally obtaining painkiller Oxycotin. The following year, she was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

In May 2005, her ex-boyfriend Billy Mcknight - Zander's father - was charged with attempted murder following a row between the couple, but Mindy changed her story and he served 30 days for misdemeanor assault, with the pair reconciling shortly afterwards.

Later that year, she was charged in Arizona with identity theft, unlawful imprisonment, and hindering prosecution and attempted suicide days after being held by police.

She made another suicide attempt later that year, while pregnant with Zander and subsequently endured numerous hospitalisations and stints in rehab.

In 2007, Mindy was imprisoned for a probation violation after resisting arrest and committing battery during a row with her mother Gayle Inge.